Still thicker than water

by Takerra, Allen

  “It is…a very important person.”

  Tatum stepped out slowly, looking up at him in confusion. She wondered who he was going to introduce her to now. Her head was spinning from all of the new acquaintances she had made.

  He grabbed her hand, helping her out of the car and then he smirked.

  “It belongs…to you.”

  Tatum dropped her jaw.

  “Nah-unh,” she laughed in amazement.

  “Ya-huh,” Ree said back, making fun of her juvenile, yet incredibly cute choice of words.

  She smiled and shook her head in disbelief as Ree closed the door to the car.

  “Would you like for me to wait Mr. Knights, or will you be staying?”

  “Wait…please,” he instructed the driver.

  He let go of Tatum’s hand and walked ahead swiftly.

  “Come on, let’s go,” he said, as Tatum looked around at the front of the estate.

  The horse ranch, the pond, the garden, the stone walkways, large metal gates with two huge reflecting K’s encrypted in them.

  K is for Knights, she figured.

  “Come on Miss Lady, I got somewhere to be soon,” Ree hurried Tatum, with a slight smile. She double stepped to catch up to him, and they finally reached the huge front door.

  “What do you mean, it’s mine?” She asked intriguingly, as he opened the door and led her inside.

  “Just what I said. This is my home…and now it’s yours.”

  “Her heels clicked against the marble floors as she watchfully made her way inside, taking in the spaciousness of her vicinity. It was breathtaking.

  “But Ree, I’ve been to your house…I’ve been staying at your house.” She looked at him as if he had amnesia as he leaned coolly against a mahogany table in the living area.

  “My beach house.”

  “What?”

  “We’ve been staying at my beach house. But this is my…and your…real home.”

  She stared at him a second longer and then slowly grinned wide, making her way over to him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed against him.

  “I love you, Mr. Knights.”

  “Yea…yea…yea…,” he joked, looking up at the ceiling blasé like, with a smirk. She punched him playfully and he smiled and grabbed her hips. He looked deep in her eyes, his stare, so tantalizing.

  “I love you more,” he answered, kissing her in a way that made Tatum weak. His kiss was so in control, so firm, yet gentle. His kiss was like liquid sex.

  Tatum felt his hands making their way to her ample ass, palming her behind through her silk wrap dress.

  “Mmmm,” she moaned, as his strong hands caressed her body. She could have him right then and there if he had wanted to be had. But she remembered him saying he had somewhere to be.

  With the heat he was inducing, she knew they were heading in the direction of a sex down.

  “Wait…wait. Don’t you have somewhere to be?” She reminded him, as his tongue traced her neckline. His hands sliding under her dress and up her thigh was his response.

  “But what about the driver? Didn’t you ask him to wait?” She questioned almost inaudibly, closing her eyes and biting her lip.

  “And that’s exactly what he’ll do,” Ree responded seriously, kissing her again.

  Mmmm definitely, liquid sex. And then they had each other right there, in the living room, on the floor, of their home.

  “Just one more block to go,” Sasha murmured to herself, as she jogged down Lindbergh Drive. The sun had recently set, catching her in the middle of her workout, and as she started to make her way home, a sense of eeriness came over her.

  She tried to fill her thoughts of her latest dilemma with Chauncey and her husband to not become too creeped out, but even that wouldn’t do it.

  As she turned onto her street and saw her house, she got that same feeling that she had gotten two years ago when those thugs had broken into her apartment and tried to kill her. The same thugs that she later found out were sent by Neli.

  Sasha looked around at the now dark and empty street and didn’t see anything out of the norm.

  Maybe I am tripping. This whole thing with Chauncey has really got me bugging anyway. I’m probably just being paranoid.

  She reached into her small Coach pouch and fished for her keys, and that’s when she heard heavy footsteps fast approaching from behind.

  Oh no.

  Thump, thump. Thump, thump. Thump, thump.

  Sasha turned around quickly to face whoever it was, but found no one. She hastily looked around, in front, behind, side to side.

  I’m on some white girl, scary movie shit now, she thought.

  But to be on the safe side, she sped up her jog to her front door.

  As she neared the door, her feeling of apprehension heightened to the point where her heart pounded and her palms were sweaty.

  She didn’t feel alone, she felt someone there, and she felt scared. She struggled to get the key into the lock, feeling the presence of someone else become stronger, and closer, and nearer.

  She dropped her keys in a haste to open the door.

  Shit!

  Sasha bent down and picked them up quickly, not wanting to waste time turning around. She just wanted to get into the house.

  Mike’s car was gone, he was at the hospital, and Aubrey was with Chauncey. She knew the house was empty.

  She finally found her key again and slid it into the lock and she could literally sense someone behind her. As she pushed the door open forcefully, the wind brushed against her hair… or maybe it wasn’t the wind?

  Either way, she was finally in. She slammed the door behind her and locked all three locks, breathing heavily.

  Sasha quickly flicked on the hallway light and stared at the front door. After thirty seconds of waiting, she sighed deeply, trying to calm herself down.

  What just happened?

  She went to look out of the peephole hoping to see nothing, and that would maybe confirm that she was just tripping because she had too much on the brain.

  As she leaned into the door, she slowly put her left eye to the peephole.

  Nothing. Just an empty porch.

  See, nothing.

  She turned to head into the kitchen deciding to give Tatum a call. The dead silence of the house had her feeling lonely. Sasha began heading down the hallway, feeling relieved, and then…

  Boom! Boom! Boom!

  Three loud knocks on the door caused her to jump almost out of her skin. She turned slowly toward the door, but stood still in her tracks, and her eyes widened in fear.

  Boom! Boom! Boom!

  Her heartbeat could’ve won the New York City marathon, it was going so fast.

  “Who is it?” She yelled, trying to sound confident, but her voice was shaking.

  There was no answer and Sasha’s hands began to shake.

  Maybe I should call the police...

  And tell them what, someone’s knocking on my door?

  She shook her head at her own foolishness.

  Maybe I’ll just ignore them and they’ll go away. She turned to head back to the kitchen.

  Boom! Boom! Boom! … Boom! Boom! Boom! … Boom! Boom! Boom!

  Each pounding on the door made Sasha’s body jump.

  “Who is it?” She screamed, angrily.

  Boom! Boom! Boom!

  Sasha looked over and saw a fire poker leaning against the wall. She grabbed it and headed slowly toward the front door. She figured she would check who it was through the peephole.

  A million thoughts raced through Sasha's mind as she reached the door. She closed her eyes briefly, and then re-opened them, leaning in to look out of the peephole.

  Here goes nothing.

  Her blood instantly was on boil from the sight before her and she was no longer scared, but she decided to hold onto the fire poker…maybe for other reasons.

  Sasha snatched the door open, fire poker in one hand, other hand on her right hip.

  �
��What the fuck are you doing at my house?” Sasha hissed, through clenched teeth.

  Her nostrils flared and her eyes were lowered to slits of anger.

  “Hi Sasha.”

  Neli was standing there with an uneasy smile on her face.

  “You look…great,” Neli complimented out of nervousness.

  “What…in the fuck…are you doing…at my god damn house, bitch?” Sasha’s words were so full of venom, her face was scowled and if she wasn’t so scared of prison, she would’ve stabbed Neli right through her evil, hateful heart with the fire poker.

  “Sasha…I didn’t say who it was… because I was scared you wouldn’t answer. I know, you weren’t expecting me-”

  “Expecting you?” Sasha asked, bewildered. “Bitch, you really are fucking looney…you lucky I don’t kill yo’ stupid ass!”

  Neli sighed audibly, nodding her head.

  “I know…trust me I know, Sasha. I…I did a lot of bad things, but I need you to hear me out…”

  “I’m not hearing shit, hoe! Fuck off my doorstep before I call the cops and have you arrested for trespassing,” Sasha barked, waving the fire poker like a weapon. “And were you just following me, you psycho hoe?”

  Neli didn’t budge, and kept her same innocent and serene look.

  “No! Sasha…” Neli protested. It was not easy for her to humble herself to her arch nemesis and put up with the name-calling, but if it was one thing Greystone had taught her, it was to be responsible for her actions. And Neli had caused Sasha a lot of pain, so she had a right to be upset. “Sasha, I have to let you know something. I know…I know you’re upset with me about Chauncey…and about Kim…but…”

  Hearing Neli utter Kim’s name sent Sasha over the edge. This bitch was the reason her friend was dead and she wanted to bring her up. Sasha grimaced and charged at Neli.

  “You! Fucking! Bitch!”

  She dropped the poker and grabbed Neli by the collar, pushing her to the edge of the steps. Then she pulled her fist back and connected powerfully against Neli’s right jawbone.

  Crack!

  Neli went tumbling down the stairs.

  She lay crumpled at the bottom of the steps in horror and shock. Her blood dripped from her mouth and she looked up at Sasha.

  Neli had never expected Sasha to hit her, but she had underestimated Sasha’s hate for her.

  “Now you got ten seconds to get yo’ ass away from my house before we have a replay of your little bathtub episode. And this time, won’t be no fuck ups ‘cause I’ll be the one doing the slitting!”

  Sasha was referring to Neli’s suicide attempt and Neli fought back the tears in her eyes. It was a low blow.

  Neli got up off the ground, still holding her face. As she walked away, she turned back toward the house in one more feeble attempt.

  “Sasha…”

  “Fuck you!” Sasha screamed in a rage, and slammed the door so hard it rattled the house. Neli stood there and stared at the closed door. She sighed.

  “Don’t say I didn’t try to tell you,” Neli whispered. And then she made her way to her little hooptie ride.

  When Sasha reached the kitchen her insides were on fire, she was full of rage and she was seeing red. Tears of anger and pain fell from her eyes. Anger because she wanted to do so much more to Neli. Pain, because she knew no matter what she did, it would never bring Kim back.

  She searched for the cordless but couldn’t find it so she grabbed her cell phone out of her pouch.

  She dialed Tatum in Jamaica, but there was no answer. She tried her house and then cell, still no luck. She left an urgent message for her to return her call on the machine and at the front desk of the hotel.

  Next she tried Mike, but they said that he was in a surgery.

  She thought of the third person she had to call, and was surprised that he wasn’t her first thought.

  “Chauncey!” She screamed when he answered.

  “Where are you? Everything okay?”

  Chauncey always asked where you were first. He figured he’d get the most critical information first and then at least he could get to her, and find out what happened later. He hated when people asked what happened first, it was like okay, you know what happened, but if you cant find out where they are, you cant do shit about it.

  “I’m home…and I’m fine, now.”

  Chauncey sighed, relieved.

  “Okay, what happened?”

  Sasha told him all about the running episode, the scariness, the banging, and then who it ended up being.

  “What! Get the fuck outta here.” Chauncey was thrown. He hadn’t seen Neli since his hearing and was sure, based on what she had done for him, that she was at least halfway stable. But coming to Atlanta?

  “Yeah!” Sasha yelled. “I told her she come near me again, I’m a slit her wrists my damn self, and I won’t do it halfway…I’m a follow through.”

  Chauncey ran his tongue along his jaw in anger before responding calmly.

  “Don’t worry ‘bout that. She come near you again, I’ll finish what I started… and I’m a follow through.”

  Sasha was quiet remembering that Chauncey had damn near killed Neli before. She didn’t want him to go back to jail. If something happened to Neli, Chauncey would be public enemy number one.

  “She won’t…I think she got the message. Especially when I snuffed her,” Sasha cracked.

  Chauncey chuckled at Sasha getting gangsta on her ass.

  “That’s my girl. So what’s up…you alone?”

  Sasha sat down on a stool, feeling more at ease. Chauncey always calmed her. Big shit just didn’t seem big when Chauncey was around.

  “Yeah,” she responded. “He’s at the hospital.”

  “So why don’t you come over here? Me and Aubrey just ordered pizza…and I don’t want you to be alone.”

  A night with her family, her real one, sounded like the perfect remedy. And some more of what Chauncey had broke her off with on the kitchen counter sounded like a fucking cure. She caught chills just thinking about it.

  But then she heard the keys dangling in the door…

  “I can’t,” she said in a low whisper.

  “Why not?”

  Before she could answer, Chauncey heard Mike’s voice through the phone.

  “Babe, are you okay? The receptionist said you called…said it was an emergency-” That was all Chauncey got and then the line went dead. He held the phone to his ear for a few seconds in anger. But in reality, his anger was masking what he was really feeling, heartbroken.

  “Who you talking to?” Mike asked Sasha, seeing that she had her phone in her hand.

  “Uh…no one. I was just trying to call Tatum.”

  Mike remained silent and just stared at the phone in her hand, but then he walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her, kissing her forehead.

  “Are you alright?”

  She brightened a little.

  “I am…now.”

  He beamed, just knowing that she meant now that he was home. But what she meant, was now that she had spoken to Chauncey.

  Mike cupped her face with his hands and looked at her lovingly.

  “I love you so much…you know that right?”

  Sasha continued smiling but wanted to cry. He’s such a good man.

  “I know…I love you, too.”

  I can’t hurt him. I can’t do what Chauncey did to me…I can’t break his heart.

  Chapter 16 - Power

  “The fucking city…is ours!” Jayde screamed, raising her Margarita, sitting poolside of E’s new lavish home.

  When Jayde’s customers had gotten a hold of Chauncey’s product, at Chauncey’s prices, they all went bonkers. They bought it so quickly, copped twice as much, sold twice as much, and the money was coming in. It was pandemonium in the streets.

  The icing on the cake was that besides Father’s main goons, who E and Bleek had taken care of, all of his other workers got down with the program. It was the easiest transit
ion that Jayde had ever seen.

  “Fucking recession…and niggas still wanna get high,” E quipped.

  Jayde tilted down her D&G frames.

  “Fucking recession and niggas will get twice as high…that’s what depression does to you. We’re feeding off the weak. Cashing in their unemployment checks and shit. Shit, we should tell our workers that they need to accept those shits! Bring your fucking unemployment check straight to us!”

  Jayde laughed obnoxiously and E chuckled. He thought Jayde was alright, but something about her rubbed him the wrong way, well, except the way she looked.

  “Yeah, that’ll be some shit.”

  Jayde took another sip of her drink and turned to E.

  “Did you handle that nigga from the bottom like I told you?”

  E had to look around to make sure no one else was present.

  “Told who?”

  “Told you, fat mothafucka!” Jayde cracked. “You were sitting right in my office, and I told you to handle that nigga.”

  “Yeah well, I must’ve misunderstood, ‘cause I woulda gracefully declined... I don’t think we should do that anyway,” E stated.

  Jayde snatched off her sunglasses and looked at him.

  “It wasn’t a suggestion…it was an order.”

  E turned and looked at her incredulously.

  “Oh, well I suggest…you find out who I take orders from.”

  Jayde sucked her teeth.

  “So you will take orders from Chauncey…but not me?”

  E chuckled as Chauncey made his way through the sliding doors and out to the back area.

  “I take orders from nobody….but my dick!” E boasted, with arrogance.

  Jayde eyed him bitterly and Chauncey approached them.

  “Play nice children,” he soothed, taking the lounge chair between them.

  Jayde swung her long legs over the chair and got up, strutting away in her leopard print bikini. She was fuming and they knew it. When she was more than an earshot away, Chauncey turned to E.

  “What’s up yo, you got a problem working hand and hand wit’ a female?”

  E shook his head.

  “Nah, I got a problem working hand and hand wit’ a bitch!” E sat up and leaned into Chauncey. “Yo, it's one thing, for her to handle certain things, because you know, this her hometown. But she aint gonna be running me around like a fucking flunky. The bitch aint working wit’ a full deck…Bleek said she just wanna dead that nigga from the bottom 'cause he wouldn’t hit her off wit’ some head!”